


Criminal

by Salmon_I



Series: To the Moon and Back [10]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Arguing, Conspiracy Theories, Friendship, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-11-26 11:00:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18179738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Salmon_I/pseuds/Salmon_I
Summary: “Isn't that dangerous? What about when your father comes back?”“He's not coming back.”“You didn't kill your father, right?” Maria had to ask because, to be honest, she wasn't sure that was the weirdest thing that could have happened given that alien murderers were a thing.  Plus, if she was helping Alex hide a body she needed to know sooner rather than later.“Wait, Manes is dead?  I thought he left town.” Kyle had joined themAlex rolled his eyes.  “He's not dead."





	1. Chapter 1

To say Maria was still reeling from everything she'd learned in the past weeks would be an understatement. Secret Love Affairs, Hidden Bunkers, Mysterious Objects, Government Conspiracies; Aliens. It felt like a bad movie plot, and things didn't tend to end well for the best friends in those films. She wasn't about to leave Alex to face it alone, though. Or Liz, even if she hadn't come to her with the truth.

She wasn't sure she'd really had time to take it all in. Her feelings over it were all tangled up, and right now she needed to keep pushing until they had all the answers. Then she could have another meltdown. Not before. Maybe she'd invade Guerin's place. Make him provide the booze. Alex could lend her his boyfriend to cry on the shoulder of for one more night - he'd been surprisingly good at it.

The other thing she was trying not to think about was her mother. If her state had to do with conspiracies and aliens. She'd been right - aliens were living among them. But it didn't explain why she kept messing reality up with a movie and past for present. When Alex had called to invite her to invade his father's bunker with him, she wasn't sure what to expect, but she'd hoped they would finally find all the answers they needed.

“That is just pathetic.” She informed Alex as he moved a simple branch off what was apparently a handprint only access panel.

“If you think this is pathetic - you should have seen his computer system.” Alex was had a laptop connected to the hand scanner and was typing away. “Come put your hand on this.”

“...why?”

“I'm adding you and Kyle to the system.” He told her as Kyle's car pulled up next to his.

“Isn't that dangerous? What about when your father comes back?”

“He's not coming back.”

“You didn't kill your father, right?” Maria had to ask because, to be honest, she wasn't sure that was the weirdest thing that could have happened given that alien murderers were a thing. Plus, if she was helping Alex hide a body she needed to know sooner rather than later.

“Wait, Manes is dead? I thought he left town.” Kyle had joined them

Alex rolled his eyes. “He's not dead. As it turns out Project Sheppard was shut down eight years ago. This operation he was running was illegal. If I expose what he's done, he'll be dishonorably discharged. It will ruin his career, his reputation, the works. In return for not doing that, Jesse Manes will never be returning to Roswell. Ever.”

“Alex Manes, you badass.” Maria grinned at him, placing her hand on the scanner. It beeped green, and Alex began typing again.

“Remind me never to cross you.” Kyle seconded.

“Your turn. Hand on the scanner. I'm giving us all access. I know how my father interpreted the information he had - and how he used it. I think some fresh eyes are needed to really look at these facts. Draw our own conclusions.”

“I have some information.” Maria admitted as Kyle got his hand scanned and Alex finished what he was doing and unplugged his laptop.

“From that Mrs Salinger woman the social worker told us about?” Alex asked, leading the way inside.

“Apparently she worked at a group home Guerin stayed in. I can tell you he definitely does not heal bullet wounds or control electricity.”

“What does he do?” Kyle was first to ask.

“Telekinesis. Moving things with his mind.” Maria stopped her story to let out a low whistle as she glanced around the Project Sheppard bunker. “Wow, this is more than a days work.”

“Wait, she knew this and didn't tell anyone?”

“Oh, she told someone.” Maria felt her hand clench as she recalled what she'd gotten out of the woman at the nursing home. If they'd both been ten years younger, she'd have slapped that evil bitch.

“I don't get it, if more than one person knew about Michael's powers, how was he not exposed long ago?” Alex turned to face her.

Maria noticed the change of address - Michael, not Guerin - and knew that something had come up in the shake down between the two Manes’ Men. She'd have to get that story out of Alex later, though. “Well, apparently when he was younger Guerin's abilities were less X-Men and more Poltergeist. Mrs Salinger thought he was possessed by demonic entities.”

“What century are we in here?” Kyle complained.

“Well, apparently Mrs Salinger and the priest she called in thought they were in the dark ages. They trapped him in a basement for seven days while they attempted to purge him of evil spirits.”

“They what??” Alex sounded about as righteous as she felt.

“She lamented that he escaped on the seventh day, sealing his fate as a vessel of evil.”

“That can't have been legal.” Kyle spoke up.

“Pretty sure no thirteen year old can legally consent to an exorcism.”

“That is so messed up.”

“If I do anything weird like hug Guerin the next time I see him, can you cover for me and say I've just been into the good stuff?” Maria asked. “Also, Alex, the next interview is yours. I have the name of the priest.”

“Let's focus on the files for now. I really don't want to keep learning Michael's secrets from his abusers.” Alex's tone was subdued.

Maria glanced sharply at him - once again wondering what the conversation with his father had really looked like. “Okay, where do we even start?”

“I want to copy his system files so we can have access all the time. Not just here.” Alex was plugging an external hard drive into the computer system that took up one wall.

“Are all these files on that computer?” Maria gestured to the filing cabinets.

“No clue.” Alex admitted.

“Hm.” Maria headed over to the cabinets, studying the labels on them.

“I do have some information too.” Kyle spoke up reluctantly. “From Liz.”

“What did she say?” Alex asked him, turning away from the computer.

“Isobel isn't in the psych ward because she's suicidal. She's in it because she's experiencing periodic black outs. And she had them before. In 2008.”

“She killed Rosa?” Maria felt like the floor had dropped out from under her. Her hand grasped the cabinet drawer handle hard. “How? Why?”

“It occurred during a black out, she doesn't even know.”

“Kyle, are you sure?” Alex looked haunted. “I mean-”

“Look, according to Liz, Guerin and Evans found Isobel with the bodies.”

“How do they know she wasn't another potential victim then?” Maria asked, still trying to make sense of the picture Kyle was painting. As much as she hated Isobel, the idea of her as a murderer didn't seem possible.

“Cuz the murders were committed by an alien and she was the only alien in the vicinity?” Kyle offered.

“She was also a pretty, young female teenager which seemed to be who was dying that night.” Maria pointed out.

“The killer's MO.” Alex provided.

“Yah, whatever the CSI term is.” Maria waved it off. “Rosa was avoiding Isobel that night. She left the bar when Isobel came in and told me she didn't want to put up with her and if she asked to say I hadn't seen her. So how would she end up in the middle of the desert with her? Isobel didn't have the physical strength to force her.”

“Maybe it has to do with her alien power?” Kyle suggested.

“Well, what is her alien power?”

“I don't know.”

“We need the whole story.” Alex broke in. “We keep speculating on partial facts. We need Liz.”

“You want me to bring her here?” Kyle gestured to the bunker.

Alex sighed. “You know what? Yah.”

“She has a presentation this afternoon. Maybe after that would be best.” Kyle suggested.

Maria realized her hand had yet to release the cabinet handle. Her fingers painful in their grip. She pried her hand off, feeling herself shake.

Alex was instantly at her side. “Hey, it's okay.”

“None of this makes sense. At all.” She heard the catch in her own voice. She thought she'd spent her last tears for Rosa Ortecho long ago.

Alex sighed, glancing around the bunker. “What if my father was right?”

“Your father is an asshole.” Maria replied wetly.

Alex couldn't help but huff out a laugh despite the tension they were all feeling. “You're not wrong.”

“This is crazy.” Kyle sat on the desk, pushing the files folders by him over slightly. “I mean something isn't adding up. In any of this.”

Maria dabbed at the tears that had escaped her eyes, leaning against Alex and the cabinets. “If they all have some alien killing power, then I mean this shit Guerin went through - the exorcism, his hand - shouldn't he have killed somebody by now?”

Alex frowned at her. “Thanks for that thought.”

“I'm just saying - he fights in my bar all the time. He's never really hurt anyone. Not severely.”

“What did happen with his hand?” Kyle asked.

Alex sighed, and leaned against the filing cabinets as well. “My father did.”

Kyle stared. “Your father?”

“He found us together the night Rosa died. He was threatening me with the hammer and Michael got in-between. So he hurt him instead.”

“Besides that confirming your father is a raging psycho, I'm with Maria. I mean if he had some alien killing power, I would think a guy making mincemeat out of his hand would trigger it. Either that or your boyfriend's alien killing power is defective.”

Maria couldn't stop the snort of laughter that emerged. Beside her Alex let out a laugh as well. They both sounded slight hysterical but they probably all were just that. “I guess having a defective killing power isn't the worst thing that could be defective in an alien boyfriend.”

“Stop.” Alex told her.

Maria covered her mouth as she started giggling. She noted that Kyle was laughing with her this time, and after a moment Alex couldn't help but join back in. The tension that had formed with Kyle's revelation released as they slowly got themselves under control.

“You know something, we grew up with them. Evans, Guerin… even Isobel.” Kyle glanced around the bunker. “They aren't… whatever your father thought they were. I'm going to get Liz. Maybe there's time before her presentation.”

“What are you going to tell her?” Alex asked.

“That you two know everything and your father has a secret alien hunting bunker. If that doesn't work, nothing will.” When he stood up the pile of file folders slipped off the desk.

“If you make a mess, you clean it up.” Maria told him.

“All these folders are empty, so it's…” Kyle had crouched down to pick up the folders, but he trailed off.

“Kyle?” Alex frowned at the cut off sentence.

Kyle stood, but he had one folder separated from the others. “Maria, what was that constellation?”

“Constellation?” Maria repeated, confused by the change of topic.

“That zodiac thing. The extra one.”

“Ophiuchus.” She provided.

The look Kyle shot them was enough to draw both Alex and her forward. He dropped the file on the table. It was empty of whatever had been held in it - but the printed label on the tab bar was still crystal clear.

Project Ophiuchus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Canon Divergence it is. I don't think I have a way to fit episode 1x09 into my series so I am borrowing only Alex's portion of 1x08 and sticking by my original plans. But I will happily steal things that work for me from episodes as we go. Note this is chapter 1/2 . Some of the fics will be multi chaptered moving forward.
> 
> I was so proud of Kyle last episode, actually. He's really being the voice of reason for everyone. Him reminding Alex they grew up with the pod squad was awesome. Actually him teasing Alex about shutting down the program just to protect Michael was pretty funny. (And, yah, that defensive response with stuttering in it totally convinced no one, Alex. You shut down the project to protect your boyfriend. Just admit it.)
> 
> I really like the friendship forming between Michael and Liz on the show. I'm going to have to figure out a way to get it into my fic despite my canon divergence.


	2. Chapter 2

Liz wasn't certain how she was feeling. The anger that had been her drive from the first moment she'd laid eyes on Rosa's autopsy photo - no, in all honesty, from the moment she realized she was returning to Roswell - had faded. The need for answers still remained, but what Mimi had said made sense. If somehow Rosa had found out what Isobel was, and faced her down with it, then Isobel would have seen that as a threat. It was a probable cause. Motive. She didn't understand how Kate and Jazmin were involved - Rosa wasn't the type to share secrets - but perhaps they'd just been collateral damage. Been with Rosa when the fight occurred. She hadn't forgiven Isobel for what she'd done. Understanding the facts helped her, though, with her own emotions. Her own anger and grief.

She'd grieved for her sister for so long, a part of her didn't want to lose that. Wanted to cling to it as if it would somehow keep her alive. Keep her with her. She also knew that it would only hold her back if she did. Outwardly she was keeping up appearances of trying to move on with her life. Inwardly she didn't feel like she was moving anywhere. She felt as if she was in stasis - waiting for something to happen. To finally push her forward.

She wondered if telling Kyle about Isobel was a mistake. If telling him about the serum was a mistake. In the end, though, she trusted Kyle. A part of her did feel bad for dragging him further into things, but he was right - he was in it. Had been from the start. She would be lying if she said having him in her corner wasn't a relief. She didn't think she could have faced all this alone.

She wasn't worried when she heard someone in her lab - perhaps Kyle had returned, or perhaps Dr Avila had come to see her before the presentation. What she didn't expect to find when she opened the door was Michael rooting through the drawers.

He glanced back at her with a frustrated sigh. “Perfect timing.”

“What are you doing here?” She closed the door quickly. “There are security cameras in the hospital.”

“Mysteriously a few have been fritzing all morning. I'm sure the repair tech they no doubt called in will have it all worked out soon.” He glanced through the next drawer.

“Again, what are you doing here?”

“I had a visit from Max this morning. He wanted to talk about the past. Here's a thing you probably don't know - Max never wants to talk about the past. He wants to figure out what's happening with Isobel, though, so now he wants to dig. And along the way,” Slamming another drawer shut in frustration, he turned to face her, “He might have let slip about you, Dr Frankenstein.”

“Max told you about the serum.”

“He mentioned you were trying to make an alien poison before. He didn't update us you succeeded.”

“It's not a poison.” Liz told him. Her goal had never been for the serum to cause pain, or actual harm.

“I beg to differ.”

“Look, it eliminates the electromagnetic charge around your squamous epithelial cells. Theoretically, it would eliminate your powers. Make you human.”

“So you want to take away her identity.”

“You can't deny that her powers make her dangerous.”

“The history of your planet does not look kindly on those who try to change those considered dangerous by society. It's like drowning witches. Or gay conversion therapy. What if someone used a lab to create a serum that made you less Mexican? Would that be okay with you?”

“I know you aren't making this comparison right now - she murdered my sister.” Liz hissed at him.

“And that right there is the point. This isn't about whether Isobel is safe for society. It's about revenge. Max may not see you, but I do. How you manipulated him into being your labrat. How you use him and Valenti. I don't blame you for your anger, but I can't trust you.”

It was the same circle they'd run loops around during their last conversation over Grant Green's tapes. Then Liz had still been full of anger. Her fury had been her armor, but that was gone now. She wondered if Michael's anger was his armor. Hers hadn't been sustainable long term. She wondered what his secret was to keeping his burning to protect him. Her real armor was still intact, though, beneath the ashes of her rage. Knowing the facts. And the fact was, every time so far she and Michael had an argument, they could actually see the other's view. They didn't want to, but they did. Because their views were startling alike.

“You're right. It was about revenge. It was about my anger. I needed to vent it somewhere. In the end it was its own end.” Going around him to the cabinet where the serum was located, she pulled it out. “I told Max I was going to destroy the serum. He gave it back and said to keep it.” She set the vial between them. “Take it. Destroy it. The truth is, I never actually planned to use it.”

Michael seemed to deflate at her words, eyeing the serum between them. With a sigh he ran his hands through his hair. “I don't know what Max told you about our powers, but I think whatever view you have on them is unrealistic. We all have our limits. I can tell you, for a fact, you don't have to worry about Isobel influencing you. She's not strong enough.”

Liz had no definite idea about their powers one way or another. She wasn't sure Michael wasn't understating their case - Max had both saved her life and caused a citywide blackout. Both which seemed pretty powerful. Something in the way he was talking, though, didn't sound rhetorical. “She tried to get into my mind?”

“You were using Max as a labrat. We thought you were dangerous. And, hello?” He picked up the vial to make a point before setting it back down. “Isobel can get people to tell her things pretty easily, but she can't just tell someone to raise their right hand and make them do it instantaneously. She has to enter their mind - make a suggestion. Some people are more susceptible than others.”

“Like a subliminal message?”

“I guess that's close. At the drive-in she tried to make you leave town, but you wouldn't. You rebuffed her. She can't influence you. Not anymore.”

Liz really wished a part of her wasn't so very fascinated by everything he was telling her. She should be upset that Isobel had tried to mess with her mind, but there was that viewpoint again. Michael was basically saying they saw her as a threat. That, in a way, they had been scared of her. When she felt angry and scared she'd made a serum she still didn't know the full effects of. Neither set of actions spoke to the best parts of any of them. She paused as she considered his words. “Anymore?”

Michael sighed, leaning against the counter. “Ten years ago, you didn't leave town of your own volition. After Rosa died, Max was a mess. He couldn't watch you grieve. He was going to break and tell you the truth and we couldn't allow that. So Isobel got inside your head and convinced you to leave. Before graduation. Before Rosa's funeral. Without Max.”

“Max was going to tell me the truth?” Liz knew he'd said so that night, but her anger had made her doubt his word. Hearing it again, from Michael, gave it new meaning.

“Yah, he was real messed up.”

“...Isobel didn't make me leave. I was always going to go. I had a route mapped out since Sophomore year-”

“You don't understand-”

“You said it yourself. Your powers have limits. Isobel can influence, not control. And some people are less susceptible. If I rebuffed her now - I could have then.” Michael's look was doubtful, but Liz ignored it. Her grief had been strongest back then - perhaps Isobel had done her a favor even if she had influenced her choices. Given her time and space to regain herself. “Take the serum and go, okay?”

Michael nodded, picking up the vial and heading for the door. He paused one more time, though. “You shouldn't hold a grudge against Max, you know. He didn't take your sister from you. All he ever did was love you.”

Liz had no reply to that. Not one she was ready to face. Before her silence could really be noticeable the door opened as Dr Avila entered. She tensed - feeling caught out, and noticed Michael hide the hand with the vial behind his back. “Dr Avila! I wasn't expecting you to…” Completely ignoring her, Avila turned away to lock the door. “Um, is something wrong?”

Avila turned then, but the look on her face was strange. Michael backed away as she glanced at him. “We should stop meeting like this.” She spoke directly to him, but the inflections in her voice sounded off. A strange candence to them.

“Do you know each other?” Liz asked, looking between them. Michael shook his head, but stepped back from Avila all the same, gaze sharp as he watched her. “Dr Avila-”

“That’s not my name.” She took a step forward.

Michael shot an arm out in front of her. “Liz, get back.”

He was backing up himself, not giving her much of an option. She stared in confusion as Avila continued to advance, chasing them around to the back of the counter. “What’s going on?”

“She can’t be trusted.” Avila was still speaking to Michael instead of her.

Michael’s eyes widened at those words, then quickly narrowed. A stool lifted off the ground - blocking the space between them and Avila.

“What are you doing?” Liz hissed at him, but instead of acting shocked Avila backed up and started to stalk around the other side of the counter. Michael tossed the serum vial onto the counter and quickly stepped around her to stand between her and Avila. “Dr Avila-”

“I said that’s not my name.” The words were angrier now.

Liz felt a chill go down her spine. Her voice, her eyes; even her movements. It was like seeing a stranger inside of someone you knew. “Who are you?”

The smile Avila gave her was cold as she stalked closer. Michael narrowed his eyes again, and a metal cabinet pulled out from the wall - blocking the path on that side of the counter as well.

“Why are you protecting her? She needs to be silenced.” Avila started to go around to the other side of the counter again.

Michael looked confused, even as he hurried to the side by the stool - clearly determined to stay between her and Avila. “Isobel is awake - Max was with her. How is this possible?”

“Isobel is locked up. This agent was available.”

“Agent?” Liz repeated the word.

“All leaks must be silenced.” Avila continued, as if quoting something. “All traitors eliminated. Even Rosa’s sister.”

“Who are you?” She demanded again, even though a part of her was frightened to hear the answer.

Avila’s lips pulled up into a fierce smile. “Ophiuchus.”

Someone tried to open the door, and - when they discovered it was locked - started knocking. “Liz?” She heard Kyle’s voice from outside the room.

Avila glanced around, and grabbed up the serum vial Michael had abandoned on the counter - heading for the door.

“Kyle be careful!” Liz shouted out, hoping he heard.

With a curse from Michael, the stool flew forward as Avila unlocked the door. She dodged it, and Michael dodged towards her as Kyle slammed the door open to find out what was going on. Liz had no time to shout out anymore warnings as Avila turned and plunged the serum needle into Michael’s chest.

“No!” The word tore from her lips. The stool clattered to the floor from where it was floating, and with one last look at the room’s occupants, Avila’s eyes rolled back and she dropped hard to the ground.

“What the hell?” Kyle stared at the situation in front of him.

“Kyle, get Max!” Liz ordered him, running forward to grab onto Michael’s arm as he was still gasping for breath after being stabbed violently with the serum. “Get Max now!”

To his credit, Kyle didn’t ask any more questions but disappeared back out the door.

“Michael, Michael, look at me.” She ordered him - not sure if the dazed look in his eyes was from the serum or what had just happened.

“Her eyes looked the same.” Michael finally spoke.

“Whose eyes? She pulled out a flashlight to shine in his eyes, but he flinched away. “Hey, I need to monitor your reactions.”

“Isobel's that night. And she said the same thing after Rosa fell. She said she couldn't be trusted.”

She'd been trying to check his pulse next, but froze at those words. “I'll need to take samples of your blood.” She ran to get the supplies she needed. Work first; fall apart later. Was it too soon to take a blood sample? Should she wait fifteen minutes? An hour?

Michael’s hand touched the injection spot, clearly still in shock. “I don’t want to be human.”

“I didn't have a colony of alien mice, so the serum isn't tested. It might not work.” Those were the most comforting words she had, and she had a feeling they were falling miserably short. She returned to his side, avoiding where Avila still lay on the floor. She'd have Kyle check on her when he returned. She was too nervous to go near her in case she woke up and tried to attack again.

“I don’t want to be human.” Michael repeated the words.

Liz stared at the empty serum vial, and felt her stomach twist. She still didn’t know how much of their body functions themselves tied into the very charge she’d created her serum to interrupt. “Max is on his way, okay?” She wasn’t sure who those words were meant to comfort. Michael or herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knew someone was going to be stabbed with the serum the moment Liz created it, and I played with the idea of who. I had actually planned to go with Michael before 1x08 played, and then I debated what to do because Isobel taking the serum led the way to so many awesome scenes. (Kyle & Isobel’s. Liz & Michael’s. Max & His Mother’s.) Due to starting my fic series early on, though, the small differences as things came out with new episodes compared to my fics finally compounded to the point I couldn’t keep up with canon. I shamelessly ripped from the script to combine a bunch of Liz & Michael’s conversations down to one before he got stabbed, though.
> 
> I originally planned to have Kyle arrive earlier in the scene, but then I remembered I locked the door and he couldn’t get in. XD So he barely appears in this chapter. My version of who Ophiuchus is will probably turn out completely different from canon. I had loads of fun setting up her part in the plot, though.
> 
> I do realize my one and only action scene to far was pretty lame. It consisted of Ophiuchus pacing back and forth and Michael floating things. I will try to make the next action scene more involving.


End file.
